Chapter 121: The Eleventh Poison—The One With the Power to Destroy the Heroes’ Destinies
“An ancient poison that has no record in history, also known as the Eleventh Ancient Poison—Destroyer of Eternity.”
Liliana’s revelation left Leon dumbfounded, his eyes widening as if struggling to digest the information.
An ancient poison with no historical record, dubbed the Eleventh Ancient Poison: the Destroyer of Eternity? Are you kidding me?
What other kind of cursed poison could this be?
Why had he never encountered it before, and why was it absent from Jared Crimson’s forbidden book?
Leon froze for a few moments, his astonishment still evident on his face as he gazed at Liliana.
“L-Liliana, y-you’re not joking, are you? The eleventh ancient poison? Aren’t there only 10 ancient poisons known to exist in this world? Then, how and why would there be an eleventh one?” Leon asked, and his tone stuttered with disbelief.
Observing Leon’s shocked expression, Liliana’s serious demeanor gradually softened, and she shook her head slightly.
“I’m not joking, Leon,” Liliana said nonchalantly, her tone calm as she continued, “the eleventh ancient poison, known as the ‘Destroyer of Eternity,’ does indeed exist. It is the most lethal poison in the world, surpassing even the other ten ancient poisons in potency.”
“The reason you’re unaware of it is quite simple. This poison wasn’t documented by my ancestor, Jared Crimson, in his notebook or the forbidden book you perused. Instead, he recorded it in an ancient manuscript that has been handed down for thousands of years,” Liliana explained, her red eyes betraying a mix of emotions she had concealed.
Upon hearing this, Leon fell silent, unsure how to process the revelation.
Leon finally comprehended why Liliana had hesitated to identify the poison inside his body; it was likely that she had another suspicion that the poison might be the eleventh ancient poison, the Destroyer of Eternity.
From Liliana’s doubts, Leon deduced that this Eleventh Ancient Poison likely had effects somewhat akin to devouring poison, rendering Liliana unable to definitively identify it.
Thankfully, Liliana’s confirmation that the poison was indeed the devouring poison brought a semblance of calm to Leon.
Otherwise, he would have likely felt immensely desperate, with little hope of recovering his strength.
After all, the very name, Eleventh Ancient Poison: Destroyer of Eternity, was enough to instill terror, especially considering Liliana’s assertion that its potency exceeded that of the other ten Ancient Poisons.
The mere thought sent shivers down his spine, and cold sweat involuntarily trickled down his back.
Snapping out of his reverie, Leon regained his composure and fixed his gaze on Liliana with curiosity.
“So, what symptoms would manifest if someone were exposed to the poison of the destroyer of eternity?” Leon voiced his doubts, his intense curiosity shimmering in his two golden eyes.
Liliana sighed slightly, her eyes narrowing gradually. “People affected by this poison, especially if they are heroes like you, exhibit very similar symptoms; one could even say identical if not carefully observed or examined.”
“The initial symptoms of being affected by the devouring poison, such as yourself, include the loss of holy power and the severance of the connection with your holy weapon. Similarly, the symptoms of exposure to the Destroyer of Eternity’s poison, as detailed in my ancestor Jared Crimson’s ancient manuscripts, also entail breaking the circuit of your holy power, resulting in the loss of connection with your holy weapon,” Liliana explained with a serious expression, followed by a sigh escaping her lips.
“Fortunately, the poison inside you is not the destroyer of eternity. Otherwise, you would have perished, and no antidote would have been capable of curing you,” Liliana continued, her gaze softening towards Leon, relief evident in her blood-red eyes.
Leon gave a small nod, mirroring the relief on his face as he listened to Liliana’s detailed explanation, which aligned with his expectations.
“If you were to compare the two poisons, how much difference is there?” Leon asked curiously.
Liliana smiled faintly in response. “Comparing the two poisons is like comparing heaven and earth in terms of difference.”
Leon arched an eyebrow, not anticipating Liliana to articulate it in such vivid terms.
“Do you know why my ancestor, Jared Crimson, named the eleventh ancient poison ‘Destroyer of Eternity’?” With her chin cradled in both palms, Liliana’s gaze remained fixed on him as she posed the question.
At her question, Leon narrowed his eyes and shook his head.
Having just learned about the existence of the eleventh ancient poison, how could he know the reason behind its name?
Liliana smiled slightly at Leon’s confusion and replied, “That’s because the focus of the Destroyer of Eternity Poison’s attack isn’t on the soul, physique, or the like, but rather on the ‘destiny’ of a living being.”
Leon widened his eyes in horror. “Destiny? You’re not joking, are you? How could a poison attack one’s destiny?”
“Of course, I was skeptical at first too, but my ancestor Jared Crimson couldn’t possibly be joking or lying,” Liliana said with a slight shake of her head, then continued, “and the most fatally affected individuals by this poison are heroes like you, Leon.”
“Heroes like me?” Leon raised one eyebrow.
“Yes, indeed,” Liliana affirmed. “The ten ancient poisons were designed specifically to overcome heroes immune to all other toxins, and as the eleventh ancient poison, its potency reigns supreme—it destroys the hero’s destiny within you.” With a gentle touch, Liliana extended her hand, her index finger grazing Leon’s forehead.
“Hiss!” Leon’s breath caught, his eyes widening in disbelief.
‘Destroying heroes destinies? Damn it, what utter nonsense is this!’
The heroes’ destiny, as implied by its name, is an innate destiny intricately woven into the essence of heroes, frequently serving as the source of their power.
Over the span of 7,000 years, the heroes’ destiny has endured, perpetuated from one generation to the next, mirroring the cyclic nature of reincarnation.
The reason heroes can wield such formidable power lies in the existence of their hero destinies, enabling them to absorb the legacies of heroes from the preceding era.
Suffice it to say, the heroes’ destiny serves as a bridge connecting the heroes of this era to assimilate the entirety of legacies from heroes of previous eras.
Should the heroes’ destiny be obliterated, the concept of the three heroes and the existence of the three holy weapons will likely vanish in the future.
Such an outcome would undoubtedly deal a fatal blow to humanity!
Seated across from him, Liliana, noting Leon’s pallid complexion, instinctively grasped his struggle to accept this revelation.
Initially, she, too, struggled to believe the writings of her ancestor, Jared Crimson, concerning the eleventh ancient poison—the Destroyer of Eternity—which purportedly had the power to obliterate heroes’ destinies upon exposure.
After all, if such a poison existed, why hadn’t her ancestor created and unleashed it upon the heroes of her generation, thus disrupting their cyclic pattern and potentially paving the way for the demons’ triumph over humanity?
In the end, however, her ancestor refrained from concocting the poison, merely documenting a few details about it, leaving Liliana puzzled about his intentions.
Of course, deep down, she felt grateful that her ancestor hadn’t brewed the poison to assail the heroes, as otherwise, she might never have crossed paths with Leon.
Though it might sound selfish, Liliana didn’t mind.
‘Is this what they call fate? It seems surprisingly sweet…’ Liliana muttered to herself.
Subtly, a faint smile graced her lips as she glanced at Leon, whose face still held its pallor.
“Well, there’s no need to worry, Leon,” Liliana said casually, her tone reassuring as she continued. “After all, the poison has already faded into the annals of history, and my uncertainty is merely based on suspicions.”
“Furthermore, despite my familiarity with the ten ancient poisons and the eleventh ancient poison, all the recipes and formulas were eradicated by my ancestor, Jared Crimson, and I’ve only pieced together what I know from the sparse records he left behind. So, there’s no need for you to worry anymore,” Liliana soothed, tenderly rubbing Leon’s face.
Upon hearing this, Leon instantly regained his composure and gave a slight nod.
However, deep down, Leon still couldn’t shake his unease.
After hearing Liliana’s thorough explanation, whether about the eleventh poison or the revelation that Jared Crimson wasn’t the true discoverer of the ten ancient poisons, he felt discomfort creeping in.
His unease stemmed from the realization that Rain had the capability to concoct the devouring poison.
Initially perplexed by how a poison whose formula and contents had been obliterated thousands of years ago could be replicated by Rain, the Great Mage Loli, he found himself pondering after hearing Liliana’s full account.
‘Could Rain have obtained the same mysterious book as Jared Crimson?’
Though seemingly absurd, it didn’t entirely dismiss the possibility.
If his speculation proved accurate, then Rain could undoubtedly become the most formidable adversary he would encounter in the future.
With her monstrous magical prowess and her attainment of the level of Great Mage, placing her among the two most powerful mages of mankind alongside the fourth Guardian of the Holy Orthodox, Victor, coupled with her possession of knowledge about the ten ancient poisons, the Empire was poised to emerge as the undisputed victor in this war of eras.
It was within the realm of possibility that this era could mark the downfall of the Demon race and the final reign of the Demon Emperor over the Demon race.
Though still speculative, Leon dared not take any chances.
Taking a deep breath, Leon grasped Liliana’s palm gently against his cheek, meeting her gaze with resolve.
“Liliana, let’s discuss the composition of your army now, and I’ll aid you in this war of the era against the Empire!”
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